1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to improvements in the field of ammunition containers for portable weapons and, more specifically, to box type containers which hold belt ammunition for machine guns.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Ammunition containers generally come in one of two forms, a drum container which attaches to the top of a machine gun or a box type container which attaches underneath the weapon. Generally, the box type ammunition containers carry belt ammunition whereas the drum type magazines carry unlinked cartridges. This invention relates to the box type ammunition containers.
Current box type containers are of a simple cardboard construction having a cloth cover and a strap which attaches the container to the bottom of the machine gun. These ammunition boxes provide little protection to the contained rounds of ammunition. The cardboard box is not strong enough to protect the enclosed ammunition from chafing or other damage resulting from a fall or other collision involving the machine gun. Furthermore, this weakness of the cardboard box prohibits this type of ammunition container from carrying all but a limited amount of rounds of ammunition.
Another problem encountered during use of the cardboard ammunition box is the debris which can get caught in the belt resulting in damage to the links which connect the rounds of ammunition or to the rounds of ammunition themselves. Because the belt must travel outside the ammunition box before it enters the feedtray of the machine gun, a strong possibility of debris getting caught in the belt exists especially under combat conditions. Accordingly, there is a need for a box type ammunition container which is strong enough to carry and protect a sufficient number of enclosed rounds and is also able to deliver the belt of ammunition directly to the feedtray of the machine gun.
Various improvements have been suggested in the design of the ammunition boxes. Different materials, such as plastiglass, have been proposed for the construction of the box. However, use of these materials is also limited by the amount of ammunition which can be carried. Furthermore, these designs do not even attempt to resolve the problem of debris being caught in the belt when the belt leaves the ammunition box and proceeds to the feedtray.